Spring-washer for locking nuts



(No Model.)

T. M. BRWIN.

SPRING WASHER POR. LOCKING NUTS. No. 279,088. Patented June 5,1883.

'Jyf W UNITED, STATES PATEIxiT (")Frlcng THOMAS M. ERVIN, AOF VERONA, ASSIGNOR AOF ONF-FOURTH TO EDVARD FRIED, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-WASHER FOR LOCKING NUTS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,088, dated June 5, 188?.

y Application filed May 4, 1383. (Nc model.)

VTo all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, THoMAs M.`ERwiN, a citizen oi' the United States, residing at Verona, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvementin Spring-flashers for y Locking Nuts on Bolts; and I do hereby dei clare theiollowing to be a full, clear, concise, and exa-ct description thereof, reference being 1o had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specifi cation, in which-like let-ters indicating like parts- VFigure l is a view in side elevation of my improved spring-washer applied to lock the A nuts of a rail-joint, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the spring-washer alone. t My invention relates to spring-washers for i locking nuts on bolts; and it consists of a ii washer, of S forni, made of a flat steel bar by -2o bending such bar at its ends in the plane ci' its greatest width to turn round or encircle the bolts, and twisting the bar between its bent ends to secure torsional spring action, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, A represents my improved springwasher, made of a rectangular or ilat steel. bar of proper length, 4bent into the Sv form shown, by first bending the hooks or loops ay on its two ends, the plane of bending 3o being parallel with the flat face of the bar,

to the same side of the bar, thus giving the blank a C form.` The blank is then given a half-twist, thereby reversing the sides or di- 3 5 rections of the hook ends, and giving the edges c e a spiral turn7 extending toward either end to or beyond the point where the nuts bearupon the hook-faces-sayg by preference, to

` or beyond the ends c.` As a result of such 4o bending and twisting, the edge e forms the inner edge of both hooks and the one to be n placed upon the splice-bar I), Fig. 1, or other equivalent bed, while the edge c, which makes i; the spiral overturn from outside to outside 4 5 'of the hooks, is the one against which the nuts E are turned. In screwing up the nuts the l raised edges cc are pressed down toward or upon the splicebar, thereby putting the washer under spring-tension, which will press the and both being bent in the same direction, or

nuts both uin the direction of the length ol" 5o bolt, and also forward in the direction of screwing on. This latter action is due to the upward and outward inclination ofthe washer, whereby an upward incline is presented to the back edges ot' the nut as they turn from c to c. The spring action thus secured is torsional in its nature, and is due in part to the elevation of the outer edge above the inner in direction across the nut, and also to the spiral lift of the outer edge, c, from the ends c toward -the center between ends. In some positions of the nut this torsional pressure is operative upon two ofthe edges or corners of the nut, and in any and all positions it is operative upon at least one rear edge or corner, so that in whatever position the nut may be left, the washer will exert pressure thereon to prevent unscrewing.

I do not claim herein a spring-washer of S forni, broadly considered, for washers `have been made ot' this form, and' also of figure-8 form, round spring-wire being used, bent upward at the. ends or in the middle to give spring action upon the nut. I believe, however, that it is new with me to'make an S form of spring-washer, a iiattened bar being used,- and the spring action being secured by twisting the bar between its hooked or looped ends. This spring action is not only stitl'er and better applied to the nut to prevent unscrewing than the prior washers referred to, but also better inclines are secured on which the corners of the nut may ride to compress the spring both in screwing up and unscrewing, so that the nut may be turned with a suitable wrench in either direction without other application of force to the washer, and with-Y out danger of catching the corners of the nut upon any part of the washer.

My improved washer may be made of coni- 9o paratively cheapgrades of steel, being bent and twisted while hot by any suitable mechanism, and tempered in the usual manner of tempering spring-washers of other forms.

I claim herein as my inventionl. A spring-washer of S form, made ofl a at steel bar twisted between its hooked ends, substantially as set forth.

2. A spring-Washer 0f' S fol-1n, made of it 'l hooked ends, substantialy as and 'for the pur fiat steel bar twisted between its ends by :L hztl-fposes set foth. 1o turn, the same edge of the bm being onter- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set most on both the hooked ends of the washer my hand.

l i 5 substantially as set forth. THOMAS M. ERVIN.

/r -vw W 1tnesses:

C. S. PARKER, R. H. VHITTLESEY.

3. A springwashel' of S form, made of' a Hat steel bar sprally twisted by a haltturn, such twist' extending into or around both its 

